ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hand — help
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. hand — in cards
  8. firm — decided
  9. degree — an amount
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. degree — from a university
  15. firm — steady
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. firm — a company
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com